A SWITCH-off of street lights in parts of Poole after midnight has been made permanent after 70 per cent of locals who responded said it did not make them feel unsafe.

Cllr Ron Parker, cabinet portfolio holder for transport at the Borough of Poole, has signed off a recommendation that the switch-off in six residential areas after midnight should be made permanent.

And he agreed this should be extended to other areas when funding is available, in a bid to reduce the council’s carbon emissions.

“I agreed because of the support we have had from the public and the police and the fact we have not had any significant adverse effect from the experiment,” said Cllr Parker.

He said they would continue to monitor the areas of Branksome, Hamworthy, Merley and Bearwood, where the lights were switched off.

And other low-crime areas would be included, when funds were available, with the agreement of residents, the police and ward councillors, he said.

“As long as we get positive results we will continue this,” he said.

There are 18,000 street lights within Poole and extending it by around 1,000 lamps a year would save £12,700 annually in energy consumption. However, set-up costs are £57,000.

“Initially the set-up costs are rather high. It is an invest-to-save scheme,” he said.

“Street lights will be kept on at all junctions where there is an issue of safety.”

Cllr Parker added they were very interested in a German scheme which operates in the village of Doerentrup, where street lights are turned off at 9pm but residents can turn them on for 15 minutes at a time by mobile phone.